Electric liquid heater



Nov. 5, 1929. A. MARTIN ET AL ELECTRIC LIQUID HEATER Filed Sept. 15. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 SheetsSheet 2 1929- A. MARTIN ET AL ELECTRIC LIQUID HEATER Filed Sept. 15. 1927 Patented Nov. 5, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALPHONSE MARTIN, OF OGDENSBURG, AND FLORENCE H. FINNEGAN, OF WANAKENA, NEW YORK ELECTRIC LIQUID HEATER Application filed September 15, 1927.

This invention relates to electric heaters.

An object of this invention is to provide an electric heater for water and the like taking advantage of the resistance of water between two electrodes, and to provide an improved pair of electrodes for eliminating ground and securing the highest efliciency and to provide an automatic forcing of the water from between the electrodes upon a predetermined temperature being reached, and particularly to provide an improved gas means for forcing the water therefrom, and to provide a delicate and sensitive adjustment means for securing a predetermined temperature.

A further object of this invention, is to provide a heating device of this character, highly efficient, of simplified form, simple and easy of installation and manufacture, and generally to provide an improved device of this character.

With the foregoing and other objects in iew, we have invented the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through our device, partly broken away;

Figure 2 is a section at 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a detail of an insulating block;

Figure 4 is an enlarged section at t4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged showing of the electrode similar to the showing in Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the showing in Figure 5.

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the following specification and in the several views in the drawings, in which we provide a pair of tubes 1 and 2, surrounding the compression chamber 3, and also provide ports 17 through which liquids communicate with the inner tube, travelling upwards gathering heat from the inner tube as well as from the outer tube, and causing the liquids to circulate over and over. A base member 1 is the bottom of any container, tank or receptacle, and may be of wood, metal or any suitable material, to which container our invention may be attached in any practical manner. The heating elements are carbon electrodes 5 and 6, connected by any suitable means such as rods 7, securing the carbons Serial No. 219,732.

to terminals 8. A porcelain block 15 carries the heating element. The compression chamber is supported upon a cast disk 9 and a cast disk 10 supports the block 15, thereby supporting the heating element. An externally threaded brass annulus 11 mates with the internal threads of the disk 10 and in co-operation with the disk 10, which is likewise movable relative to the disk, serves as the adjusting means.

A packing element 12 is provided and likewise a packing gland 13. The member 10 is provided with external threads co-mating with the internal threads of a ferrule 14 adapted to suitably tighten the packing element 12 by forcing the gland 13 against the same and further forming an end closing element. A conduit 22 supplies water from any form of tank furnishing a constant supply of water by gravity, and a chamber 4, which chamber 4 is formed between the elements 9 and 10 and opens into the chamber 21, form ing a contact between the two electrodes, the water from which conduit leads through a port 19 up into the compression chamber 3 and compresses the gas therein up to approximately the cold water line 20.

In operation, when the terminals of the electrodes are suitably connected with the source of the electric current and Water is within the chambers 4 and 21, the resistance between the electrodes starting the circuit and creating heat starts the water in circulation, the water comes back down the space between the heating element and the outside tube of the compression chamber, back to the chamber 4, back through the chamber 21, and keeps circulating: the liquid in the tank or container which surrounds the tubes 1 and 2 starts gathering heat for the compression chamber, and starts circulating as well the water within the heater. As the liquid in the tank gradually heats by means of its radiation through the walls 1 and 2, it heats the gas in the compression chamber 3, which gas thereby expands, pushes the water downward in the chamber 3 by its expansion, and back up the supply pipe 22, so that when the liquid gets to approximately 210 Fahrenheit, the gas is expanded enough to reach down to the hot water line 18 which line is determined by a suitable adjustment of the ring 11, and also the heat of the supply tank. This auto matically leaves very little water in the chamber 21, therefore there is very little current consumed at this point, just enough to overcome radiation; but the elements being so hot that the gas as generated and escaping as indicated by little bubbles under tube 1 in chamber t, and up the supply pipe to the open air. This gas is a high heat conductor and has a large range of expansion and contraction, which gives an absolute control of the consumption of electric current.

\Vhen the hot liquid is drawn from the coutainer and replaced by cold liquid, the result is that the cold liquid in striking the tubes 1 and 2 cools the gas in the chamber 3, which contracts the gas and lets the water come up above the heating element to any point that the temperature of the liquid will permit. This automatically starts the heater in full blast again, until the gas is expanded to push the water down again from the heating element.

o have found from much experimenting that in providing a hood structure of covering one of the electrodes with the other and letting the water circulate through the space 21 and out through the port 19, that the ground is practically eliminated.

Having now described our invention, that which we claim to be new, and desire to procure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination a chamber mounted to be immersed in a liquid to be heated, an expansible fluid within the chamber, a pair of electrodes and means for supplying the liquid between the electrodes against the pressure of the fluid within the chamber, and means for adjusting the capacity of the chamber.

2. In combination, a pair of electrodes, one of the electrodes hooded over the other electrode, a conduit leading into the space between the electrodes and opening through the hood, a chamber supplied with an expansiblc fluid and having a common opening with the hood opening.

In con'ibination. a tubular member, a hood electrode mounted within the tubular member, a second electrode mounted within the hood electrode and spaced apart therefrom, an expansible fluid carried within the tubular member, and means for admitting a liquid into the space between the electrodes and out through the hood into the tubular member.

4. In combination a cylindrical electrode, a second cylindrical electrode provided with an end wall, concentric the first electrode and surrounding the same, and an opening in the end wall, means for supporting, insulating and supplying an electric current to the electrodes, a chamber leading to the opening and means for supplying a fluid between the electrodes.

In combination, a tubular member, a base member of insulating material connected with the tubular member, a cylindrical electrode supported by the base member, a second cylindrical electrode provided with an end wall within the tubular member, and surrounding the first electrode, and spaced apart from the first electrode, a conduit leadg to the space between the electrodes, a chamber within the tubular member, an opening in the end wall of the second electrode leading into the chamber.

6. In combination, a tubular member, a base member of insulating material connected with the tubular member, a cylindrical electrode supported by the base member, a second cylindrical electrode provided with an end wall within the tubular member, and surrounding the first electrode, and spaced apart from the first electrode, a conduit leading to the space between the electrodes, a chamber within the tubular member, an opening in the end wall of the second electrode leading into the chamber, and a space between the second elcctrode and the tubular member connected with the chamber and. with the space between the electrodes.

7. In combination, a tubular member, a base member of insulating material connected with the tubular member, a cylindrical electrode supported by the base member, a second cylindrical electrode provided with an end wall within the tubular member, and surrounding the first electrode, and spaced apart from the first electrode, a conduit leading to the space between the electrodes, a chamber within the tubular member, an opening in the end wall of the second electrode leading into the chamber, and a second tubular member within the first tubular member for increasing the radiation of the chamber.

8. In combination a tank provided with a base having a wall opening, a tubular membcr fitting the walls of the opening, a second tubular member within the first tubular member providing a chamber between the two tubular members, a base member supported by the base of the tank and connected with the outer tube, a disk member connected with the second base member and a heating element adjustably connected with the disk member, and adjustbale means including internal threads in the disk and an annulus supporting the heating element provided with external threads.

9. In combination a tank provided with a base having a wall opening, a tubular member fitting the walls of the opening, a second tubular member within the first tubular member providing a chamber between the two tubular members, a base member supported by the base of the tank and connected with the outer tube, a disk member connected with the second base member and a heatin element adjustably connected with the dis member, and adjustable means including internal threads in the disk and an annulus supporting the heating element provided with external threads, and means for packing the heating element relative to the disk element.

10. In combination a tank provided with a base having a wall opening, a tubular member fitting the walls of the opening, a second tubular member within the first tubular member providing a chamber between the two tubular members, a base member supported by the base of the tank and connected with the outer tube, a disk member connected with the second base member and a heating element adjustably connected with the disk member, and adjustable means including internal threads in the disk and an annulus supporting the heating element provided with external threads, and means for packing the heating element relative to the disk element, the packing means including a packing gland surrounding the heating element and nut screwing upon the disk element and supporting the packing gland and a packing element between the heating element and gland.

In testimony whereof we attach our signatures.

ALPHONSE MARTIN. FLORENCE H. FINNEGAN. 

